General Discussion

Jefferson23

(30,099 posts)

2. No. I will add their moves which should not be separated from the invite to Netanyahu

Sun Mar 15, 2015, 06:29 PM

Mar 2015

does not have to be illegal to be wrong and dangerous.

snip*The letter has provoked the charge of “treason” against the signers and a demand for charges against them for negotiating with a foreign government in violation of the Logan Act. In a little over 24 hours, more than 200,000 people had signed a petition on the White House website calling such charges to be filed.

But although that route may seem satisfying at first thought, it is problematic for both legal and political reasons. The Logan Act was passed in 1799, and has never been used successfully to convict anyone, mainly because it was written more than a century before US courts created legal standards for the protection of first amendment speech rights. And it is unclear whether the Logan Act was even meant to apply to members of Congress anyway.

http://www.commondreams.org/views/2015/03/13/real-story-behind-republicans-iran-letter

Edit history

Please sign in to view edit histories.

51 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Poll: Should the 47 Republican Senators who signed onto the Iraq letter [View all] cali Mar 2015 OP

Sigh NoJusticeNoPeace Mar 2015 #1

expressive but hardly elucidating cali Mar 2015 #6

No. I will add their moves which should not be separated from the invite to Netanyahu Jefferson23 Mar 2015 #2

You may be right, but Blue_In_AK Mar 2015 #3

I'm pretty much w/ you on that point.Repubs have pushed the limits of legality and respect regarding Panich52 Mar 2015 #46

Of course I meant banksters, not bannisters. Blue_In_AK Mar 2015 #48

A lame duck President directing an unpopular Attorney General to indict half the Senate. name not needed Mar 2015 #4

Absolutely yes! avebury Mar 2015 #5

So if it was say 47 dems who wrote a letter cali Mar 2015 #7

But it wasn't 47 dems that wrote a letter to Iran. People can pretend that is an issue Rex Mar 2015 #9

But we're not at war with Iran, and the Logan Act is unconstitutional. eom. GGJohn Mar 2015 #10

We are at war with their neighbor did you forget? And the letter can have untold Rex Mar 2015 #12

Again, we're not at war with Iran, GGJohn Mar 2015 #14

Right. Nice try. Again. Rex Mar 2015 #15

Right. Nice try. Again, GGJohn Mar 2015 #19

See post #22 Rex Mar 2015 #23

See post #19. GGJohn Mar 2015 #24

yeah. right. this is about defending the 47 republicans. Fail. Again cali Mar 2015 #20

I know it is. Thanks for admitting it. Rex Mar 2015 #22

gee. you seem not to understand simple English. cali Mar 2015 #26

That is why I sighed...real clear to me too NoJusticeNoPeace Mar 2015 #27

We were as much "at war" with the Sandanistas when the Dear Comandante letter onenote Mar 2015 #50

ack. that you think that, is frightening. so the dems who were vocal in opposition cali Mar 2015 #11

Vocal? Did 47 dems send a letter to Saddam Hussein trying to undermine Bush in Iraq? Rex Mar 2015 #13

I'm simply asking you to reflect on a hypothetical that is most certainly not cali Mar 2015 #17

There is a HUGE difference between trying to undermine the POTUS during negotiations with Iran Rex Mar 2015 #21

You now think you can speak for the rest of the world? wow. cali Mar 2015 #25

You sling that word traitor rather loosly. eom. GGJohn Mar 2015 #33

Bonehead moves seem to be consistently avebury Mar 2015 #28

I can get your frustrated and your perspective is at least in part informed by your living in cali Mar 2015 #34

But it pisses people off to know that their tax dollars are avebury Mar 2015 #38

As another member said, GGJohn Mar 2015 #8

Like, like, like Avebury's comment. kajsa williams Mar 2015 #49

The Logan Act is a red herring These senators likely have full immunity under the Speech and Debate tritsofme Mar 2015 #16

thanks. cali Mar 2015 #18

yes - it would show the repugs that we can't be pushed around samsingh Mar 2015 #29

No not really but it is nice to watch the bastards squirm. hrmjustin Mar 2015 #30

squirm? i hardly think so. onenote Mar 2015 #39

Pelosi: My trip to Syria in 2007 was nothing like the GOP's Iran letter NoJusticeNoPeace Mar 2015 #31

be traded to Iran? Erich Bloodaxe BSN Mar 2015 #32

You have a major one-letter typo in the title cpwm17 Mar 2015 #35

I see something like this, and I think YarnAddict Mar 2015 #36

Like the Netanyahu speech, the letter was a PR stunt that blew up in their faces. Tierra_y_Libertad Mar 2015 #37

Yup, as the saying goes, GGJohn Mar 2015 #41

Look, the repubs IMPEACHED! Clinton for a BJ. BillZBubb Mar 2015 #40

And when it's thrown out of court as unconstitutional, then what? eom. GGJohn Mar 2015 #45

This is politics. It doesn't matter what the courts do. BillZBubb Mar 2015 #47

Doesn't make any difference to me customerserviceguy Mar 2015 #42

RW talking points about Nancy Pelosi. Kingofalldems Mar 2015 #43

uh, no. I posted a wiki article about the Logan Act and how it's been used to make a point cali Mar 2015 #51

Pass. Fake poll in my opinion. Kingofalldems Mar 2015 #44